McKay Coppins: “The religious dynamic of the Romneys’ Leave It To Beaver lifestyle has been largely lost on the partisans making hay out of the latest flare-up in the mommy wars, which was sparked by a Democratic strategist charging that Ann ‘has never actually worked a day in her life.’ But while much of the debate has centered on class — with liberals casting full-time motherhood as a luxury for the rich, and conservatives hoping working-class women will identify with her — the fact is that even if Mitt were a middle-class schoolteacher, there’s a good chance Ann still would have foregone a career.”

“That’s because for many Latter-day Saint women, staying at home to raise children is less a lifestyle choice than religious one — a divinely-appreciated sacrifice that brings with it blessings, empowerment, and spiritual prestige.”

A new ABC News-Washington Post poll finds Mitt Romney has emerged from the Republican primary season with the weakest favorability rating on record for a presumptive presidential nominee since 1984, trailing President Obama in personal popularity by 21 percentage points.

Romney is the first likely nominee to be underwater – seen more unfavorably than favorably – in eight presidential primary seasons across the past 28 years.

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll finds President Obama holds a nine-point lead over Mitt Romney, 52% to 43%.

The survey indicates women voters back Obama over Romney by 16 points, 55% to 39%, virtually unchanged from an 18-point advantage among women for the president in CNN polling last month.

The Gallup daily tracking poll of the presidential election kicks off with Mitt Romney leading President Obama 47% to 45% among registered voters nationally.

Both Obama and Romney are supported by 90% of their respective partisans, but independents break for Romney 45% to 39%.

Rep. Ed Towns’ (D-NY) retirement announcement “makes him the 25th House retirement of this cycle. Add in the 10 Senate retirements, and you’ve got the most combined retirements since 1996, when Democratic lawmakers retired in droves after the Republican Revolution of 1994 (and many Republicans joined them),” The Fix reports.

“Add in another 15 House members running for other/higher office, and the next Congress is already promising to include plenty of turnover — with 50 out of 535 members (nearly 10 percent) already leaving their seats.”

That said, filing deadlines “have passed in 30 of the 50 states so far, meaning there may not be that many more retirements to come.”

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Wisconsin shows Gov. Scott Walker (R) leading each of his potential Democratic challengers in a recall election.

Walker leads Tom Barrett (D) 50% to 45% and tops Kathleen Falk (D) 50% to 43%.

Priorities USA Action, the pro-Obama super PAC, released a new television ad in Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Iowa today, Yahoo News reports.

The ad focuses on Mitt Romney’s effective tax rate features the now infamous picture of Romney and his Bain Capital colleagues with money stuffed into their suits.

[Read more…]

Joe Klein: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a presidential election that was a pure referendum, and every presidential election I’ve covered involved a choice. There are good reasons for this.”

“The presidency is our most intimate office. The President lives in our homes for four years. The media spend considerable amounts of time, sometimes too much, telling us who these people are. And then in October we get to see two, occasionally three, men — only men, sadly, so far — on the stage and we decide which one we want to invite into our homes for the next four years. Barring a national disaster, issues are secondary — although an impression of how you might handle those issues is important.”

“Angus King, in my view, is like electoral comfort food. We know him as a little bit bland, a smart man and a thinker. Sending mac ‘n cheese down to Washington is not good enough.”

— Maine U.S. Senate candidate John Hinck (D), quoted by the Bangor Daily News at a Democratic primary forum, with a memorable attack on likely independent candidate Angus King.

Mitt Romney told ABC News he has put his longtime adviser Beth Myers in charge of the vice presidential vetting process.

Said Romney: “I have selected someone who has been an counselor of mine for a number of years, Beth Myers, she was my Chief of Staff when I was governor. I’ve asked her to be the person who oversees the process of the vice presidential selection and vetting an analysis and so she’s begun that process and is putting together the kinds of things you need to do to vet potential candidates.”

“I’m not going to be the vice president. I’m not.”

— Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

Mitt Romney last week declared that “all moms are working moms,” but the Boston Globe notes “he insisted as recently as January that women on welfare need to get jobs, even if they have young children.”

Said Romney: “Even if you have a child two years of age, you need to go to work. And people said, ‘Well that’s heartless,’ and I said ‘No, no, I’m willing to spend more giving daycare to allow those parents to go back to work. It’ll cost the state more providing that daycare, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.'”

Sheldon Adelson, the wealthy casino owner who backed Newt Gingrich’s presidential bid, has donated $5 million with his wife to a super PAC for House Republican candidates, National Journal reports.

“The financial infusion immediately makes the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is chaired by former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, among the biggest players in the congressional landscape this year.”

First Read
reports that Mitt Romney “went well beyond his standard stump speech at
a closed-door fundraiser on Sunday evening, and offered some of the
most specific details to date about the policies he would pursue if
elected.”

“Romney went into a level of detail not usually seen by the
public in the speech, which was overheard by reporters on a sidewalk
below. One possibility floated by Romney included the elimination of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Cabinet-level agency
once led by Romney’s father, George… Romney also went into greater
detail than he has on the campaign trail in describing how he would
maintain the progressive structure in the tax code after implementing
his 20 percent across-the-board tax cut.”

“It was my early birthday present for someone to be critical of me as a mother.”

— Ann Romney, quoted by The Hill, overheard by reporters at a private fundraiser discussing the incident with Hilary Rosen.